The Associated Press reports Friday that a federal appeals court ruled against Smith's estate in a battle that began with the 1995 death of billionaire J. Howard Marshall at the age of 90. The late Smith wed Marshall in 1994, and later claimed that he had promised her $300 million out of his $1.6 billion fortune.

The court ruled that a verdict rendered in 2001 -- which favored Marshall's son, E. Pierce Marshall -- should be upheld, and that any later rulings promising money to Smith should be ignored.